1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to paper towel dispensers and methods of using such dispensers, and in particular, the invention relates to center-pull paper toweling dispensers and methods of using such dispensers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Paper toweling is a part of our daily lives. We use it in the home, at school, at work, in restaurants, in airports, and in numerous other settings. For example, you, no doubt, have been in that frustrating position of using a public restroom, washing your hands, and then turning around to the paper toweling dispenser, only to find that the dispenser is empty! At which point, you are often left with the options of"drip drying", pulling out that personal hand towel that you always carry with you, or using that favorite towel-like section of your dress, suit, or shirt.
Despite the ease and convenience of single-roll, center-pull paper toweling and dispensers, these dispensers simply do not solve this annoying problem. As is often the case in a heavily trafficked area, someone before you has pulled at that last sheet of toweling from the center-pull dispenser before a custodian returned to the restroom or other facility to refill the unit. Alternatively, even if a facility had a custodian or custodians checking and refilling the dispenser with great frequency, a great deal of paper toweling likely would be wasted. For example, in order to avoid an empty dispenser, a custodian likely would remove whatever paper toweling is in the dispenser, throw that toweling away, and fill the dispenser with a new roll, as an alternative to risking the potential for an empty dispenser.
One company has developed a center-pull dispenser assembly which is actually two center-pull dispensers molded together in a side-by-side relationship. If this assembly were installed in a facility, a person using the facility would have the option to pull paper toweling from either the right dispenser or left dispenser of the side-by-side unit. Accordingly, this side-by-side unit would increase the total volume of paper initially available in the dispenser assembly. However, because people using the facility would be able to freely draw toweling from the left and right dispensers at will, there would still be a significant possibility that when you turned to the dispensing unit in search of a sheet of paper toweling, once again, you would come up empty handed. As with the single-roll dispenser, a custodian would either have to be very lucky in his or her timing, or that custodian would have to throw away one or more partially used rolls, in order to restock the unit.